ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

A different, original way to listent to Stevie Ray Vaughan's artistry, 17 Jan 2008

Stevie Ray Vaughan's latest CD release includes six previously unreleased live tracks as well as eight already released tracks.

This is the second album from him that I buy since "The Sky Is Crying."

As SRV was always wont to play with other artists, I bought this CD to gain a broader view of his work. This album highlights recordings where SRV was either a guest or a sideman. This album does not focus on Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but rather on Stevie Ray Vaughan's musicianship. It also displays the great versatility of SRV.

After hearing what is on offer here, I can assure you that his record label is definitely not scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The album starts with "The Sky Is Crying", the well-known live version featuring Albert King, B.B. King and Paul Butterfield that was released on DVD. I have always found that this track was rather average. Although a fan of all the aforementioned musicians, I find that Butterfield's vocals and harmonica playing do not really fit in this context. I also find that SRV cannot compare to Albert King, at least vocally.

Marcia Ball's taunting rendition of "Soulful Dress" was the best track from her debut rounder LP (1984.) SRV's flashy guitar riffs greatly enhanced it.

"Don't Stop by the Creek, Son" is an outstanding track recorded by Johnny Copeland on his own, excellent "Teen Twister" album for Rounder (1983.)

On A.C. Reed's "Miami Street", he responds well to the main man's raspy, gutbucket blowing and soulful self-deprecating lyrics.

The next track, "Na-Na-Ne-Na-Nay", written and performed by rockabilly singer Bill Carter's features a rocking horn section I do not find it that great.

SRV and Jeff Beck perform a live, savage rendition of "Goin' Down." This, by the way, is the well known Don Nix composition. Beck did not write it as mentioned.

SRV co-produced Lonnie Mack's inspired comeback album titled "Strike like Lightning" (Alligator, 1985.) The CD offers a live rendition of the former album's "Orea Cookie Blues" recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1986. Lonnie Mack and his Gibson Flying V are firing on all cylinders here.

SRV brings his bullish guitar tone to the late Katie Webster's "On the Run", which was recorded at the 1988 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I bet that many SRV fan will be delighted to hear Webster's vocals and barrelhouse swamp piano playing.

Next, comes the best cut with "Albert's Shuffle", co-written and performed by Albert Collins and SRV and recorded live in 1988. SRV responds intensely to Albert's capoed Telecaster. It is an awe-inspiring, frenzied rendition with howling notes and machine-gun riffs. Albert Collins, along with Albert King and Lonnie Mack, was one of the young SRV guitar heroes.

"Change it" recorded for a television show in 1985 sees Stevie's older brother Jimmie Vaughan playing rhythm on a 1985 television show. The little brother seems to set fireworks alight. Sparks flow in all directions.

On the live "You Can Have My Husband", Lou-Ann Barton - then SRV's girlfriend - plays the tough chick. This track is not one of the best. I actually prefer Barton's studio take recorded with Jimmie Vaughan in 1985. SRV's solo's are very good though.

Bonnie Raitt remains her very elegant self as she adds highly sensitive slide to "Texas Flood", which was recorded in Seattle in 1985. A wonderful track!

The blistering version of "Pipeline", recorded with Dick Dale - the "King of Surf Guitar" - is truly magnificent. SRV's fans unfamiliar with this proto heavy-metal rocker will be fascinated.

Although SRV's guitar is well in attendance, David Bowie's catchy, funky "Let's Dance", which ends the album, feels somewhat alien to what comes before. However, it was an important step in SRV's career and shows how adaptable he was.

Overall, this is a good album. The high points far outweigh the average ones. Moreover, I bet that some of SRV's fans will be delighted to listen to great artists that they might not already know. Enjoy.

In a brief interview that precedes this CD's four bonus tracks--all unreleased gems from the original 1984 sessions--Stevie Ray Vaughan makes the point that "music used to be more based on common everyday occurrences like a train's sound going down the track ... a horse walking." Then he comes on with a version of Freddie King's "Hideaway" that chugs like a locomotive. There's also a heretofore unheard slide-guitar-powered "Give Me Back My Wig" and a blueprint of what became Soul to Soul's US radio hit "Look at Little Sister". All those follow the improved mixes of the original CD, which include Vaughan's heartbreak chronicles "Couldn't Stand the Weather" and "Cold Shot"; his first jazzer, "Stang's Swang"; and his initial Hendrix outing, "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)". It's the sound of the guitar hero growing as an artist on his own terms--sidestepping the irony that poisoned 1990s rock to stay true to the real-life aesthetic of the blues. --Ted Drozdowski

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

A different, original way to listent to Stevie Ray Vaughan's artistry, 17 Jan 2008

Stevie Ray Vaughan's latest CD release includes six previously unreleased live tracks as well as eight already released tracks.

This is the second album from him that I buy since "The Sky Is Crying."

As SRV was always wont to play with other artists, I bought this CD to gain a broader view of his work. This album highlights recordings where SRV was either a guest or a sideman. This album does not focus on Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but rather on Stevie Ray Vaughan's musicianship. It also displays the great versatility of SRV.

After hearing what is on offer here, I can assure you that his record label is definitely not scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The album starts with "The Sky Is Crying", the well-known live version featuring Albert King, B.B. King and Paul Butterfield that was released on DVD. I have always found that this track was rather average. Although a fan of all the aforementioned musicians, I find that Butterfield's vocals and harmonica playing do not really fit in this context. I also find that SRV cannot compare to Albert King, at least vocally.

Marcia Ball's taunting rendition of "Soulful Dress" was the best track from her debut rounder LP (1984.) SRV's flashy guitar riffs greatly enhanced it.

"Don't Stop by the Creek, Son" is an outstanding track recorded by Johnny Copeland on his own, excellent "Teen Twister" album for Rounder (1983.)

On A.C. Reed's "Miami Street", he responds well to the main man's raspy, gutbucket blowing and soulful self-deprecating lyrics.

The next track, "Na-Na-Ne-Na-Nay", written and performed by rockabilly singer Bill Carter's features a rocking horn section I do not find it that great.

SRV and Jeff Beck perform a live, savage rendition of "Goin' Down." This, by the way, is the well known Don Nix composition. Beck did not write it as mentioned.

SRV co-produced Lonnie Mack's inspired comeback album titled "Strike like Lightning" (Alligator, 1985.) The CD offers a live rendition of the former album's "Orea Cookie Blues" recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1986. Lonnie Mack and his Gibson Flying V are firing on all cylinders here.

SRV brings his bullish guitar tone to the late Katie Webster's "On the Run", which was recorded at the 1988 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I bet that many SRV fan will be delighted to hear Webster's vocals and barrelhouse swamp piano playing.

Next, comes the best cut with "Albert's Shuffle", co-written and performed by Albert Collins and SRV and recorded live in 1988. SRV responds intensely to Albert's capoed Telecaster. It is an awe-inspiring, frenzied rendition with howling notes and machine-gun riffs. Albert Collins, along with Albert King and Lonnie Mack, was one of the young SRV guitar heroes.

"Change it" recorded for a television show in 1985 sees Stevie's older brother Jimmie Vaughan playing rhythm on a 1985 television show. The little brother seems to set fireworks alight. Sparks flow in all directions.

On the live "You Can Have My Husband", Lou-Ann Barton - then SRV's girlfriend - plays the tough chick. This track is not one of the best. I actually prefer Barton's studio take recorded with Jimmie Vaughan in 1985. SRV's solo's are very good though.

Bonnie Raitt remains her very elegant self as she adds highly sensitive slide to "Texas Flood", which was recorded in Seattle in 1985. A wonderful track!

The blistering version of "Pipeline", recorded with Dick Dale - the "King of Surf Guitar" - is truly magnificent. SRV's fans unfamiliar with this proto heavy-metal rocker will be fascinated.

Although SRV's guitar is well in attendance, David Bowie's catchy, funky "Let's Dance", which ends the album, feels somewhat alien to what comes before. However, it was an important step in SRV's career and shows how adaptable he was.

Overall, this is a good album. The high points far outweigh the average ones. Moreover, I bet that some of SRV's fans will be delighted to listen to great artists that they might not already know. Enjoy.


Astonishing, 06 May 2007
This was the srv & dt cd i bought and i was so blown away i imediately bought another of their cds.
Srv's Playing ability is flawless, he never misses a note man!
It's goes Jimi no.1 Stevie no.2, no doubt about it!!!

A solid second album, 21 Jul 2003
"Couldn't Stand The Weather" may not live up to the heights of Stevie Ray Vaughan's superb debut album, but it is still a very solid slice of blues-rock, showcasing Vaughan's exceptional abilities as a guitar player.

"Texas Flood" had a few more real classics, including several of Vaughan's best songs ("Pride And Joy", "Texas Flood", "I'm Cryin'" "Dirty Pool"), but "Couldn't Stand The Weather" has some really fine cuts as well. The opener, the instrumental "Scuttle Buttin'", is probably Vaughan's best instrumental piece, and he and the band perform some excellent covers, particularly W.C. Clark's "Cold Shot" and Eddie Jones' "The Things That I Used To Do".

The bonus tracks include a take on Freddie King's classic "Hide Away", an alternative "Look At Little Sister" (the master turned up on Vaughan's third album a year later), and a cover of Hound Dog Taylor's funky "Give Me Back My Wig".

One might have wished for a few more original compositions (only four songs are Vaughan's own, and two of these are instrumentals). Stevie Ray Vaughan chose his covers carefully, though, and they all work well in this setting, making "Couldn't Stand The Weather" an enjoyable album, even if it isn't Vaughan's greatest.

Excellent!, 06 May 2003
This is by far one of my favourite CDs, offering fast guitar work playing the Blues and Rock music. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD from start to finish, and the bonus tracks were just that - a bonus (strangely!)

Despite some similar-sounding tracks, this is still one of the best CDs I've heard of this genre and Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of my favourite artists.

If you're considering buying this CD, you should also check out "Texas Flood", yet another of SRV's superb achievements.

Overall: YOU NEED THIS CD!!!

Just fantastic..., 28 Feb 2002
We all know just how spectacular Stevie was on guitar, the guy remains one of the greatest without question.

...but to suggest he wasn't a great singer?? That's just crazy! Just like Hendrix, Stevie has always been an extremely underrated vocalist. Granted, he can't sing like Skip James and knock off a falsetto at the drop of a hat - but he sang with one hell of a lot of soul and guts that I think definitely shines through on this wonderful album.

"Couldn't Stand The Weather" is another fantastic Stevie and Double Trouble record, and full marks to Legacy for doing a first class job on this remastered version. I've always been of the opinion that the guys were never really served well in the studio - the production techniques used always made them sound too polished (the live albums are always better), but this reissue goes a long way to try and correct that.

Above all though, just by this album!

Rhythmic gymnastics and masterclasses in blues playing., 20 Sep 2000
Its sometimes said that great guitar players don't always make great singers, and there are plenty of examples around to add truth to that statement. SRV is undeniably a great guitar player, and though his singing might not quite reach that description, does it really matter when everything important he has to say comes from the clarity and passion of his playing?

This CD contains some tunes that could be described as masterclasses in the art of blues guitar. Apart from the modern classic "Scuttle Buttin'" ( which by now must have taken over from Smoke on the Water as the most heard riff in guitar shops) there are four stand-out pieces which are all different in their own way.

"The things (that) I used to do" would not be out of place in any country road house or late night urban blues bar. Its a standard vocal line and guitar reply format but the treatment is straightforward, solid and brilliant. Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" is a great vehicle for SRV's Stratocaster mastery, but what makes the track really drive is the tightness of Chris Layton's drumming. Most bands who are happy to start together and finish at more or less the same time could learn from this,it gives a new meaning to the term rhythmic gymnastics.

"Cold Shot" is simply an easy groove blues. Uncomplicated and very effective.

The guitar settings are in the "delicate " mode and the phrasing is lyrical in "Tin Pan Alley" and all are underpinned by an object lesson in blues bass playing. Ths sustained coolness of Tommy Shannon's playing is a pleasure to listen to.There's a feeling though, that the lyrics don't quite match up to the quality of the musicianship ( aopologies to J.Reed fans). With a stronger narrative this could have been an all time great.

All other tracks are highly enjoyable but a bit mixed ( "Stang's Swang" is interesting but somehow ingongrous here ). All SRV fans will have this material, but with the bonus tracks it is a very good introduction for new followers.

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

A different, original way to listent to Stevie Ray Vaughan's artistry, 17 Jan 2008

Stevie Ray Vaughan's latest CD release includes six previously unreleased live tracks as well as eight already released tracks.

This is the second album from him that I buy since "The Sky Is Crying."

As SRV was always wont to play with other artists, I bought this CD to gain a broader view of his work. This album highlights recordings where SRV was either a guest or a sideman. This album does not focus on Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but rather on Stevie Ray Vaughan's musicianship. It also displays the great versatility of SRV.

After hearing what is on offer here, I can assure you that his record label is definitely not scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The album starts with "The Sky Is Crying", the well-known live version featuring Albert King, B.B. King and Paul Butterfield that was released on DVD. I have always found that this track was rather average. Although a fan of all the aforementioned musicians, I find that Butterfield's vocals and harmonica playing do not really fit in this context. I also find that SRV cannot compare to Albert King, at least vocally.

Marcia Ball's taunting rendition of "Soulful Dress" was the best track from her debut rounder LP (1984.) SRV's flashy guitar riffs greatly enhanced it.

"Don't Stop by the Creek, Son" is an outstanding track recorded by Johnny Copeland on his own, excellent "Teen Twister" album for Rounder (1983.)

On A.C. Reed's "Miami Street", he responds well to the main man's raspy, gutbucket blowing and soulful self-deprecating lyrics.

The next track, "Na-Na-Ne-Na-Nay", written and performed by rockabilly singer Bill Carter's features a rocking horn section I do not find it that great.

SRV and Jeff Beck perform a live, savage rendition of "Goin' Down." This, by the way, is the well known Don Nix composition. Beck did not write it as mentioned.

SRV co-produced Lonnie Mack's inspired comeback album titled "Strike like Lightning" (Alligator, 1985.) The CD offers a live rendition of the former album's "Orea Cookie Blues" recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1986. Lonnie Mack and his Gibson Flying V are firing on all cylinders here.

SRV brings his bullish guitar tone to the late Katie Webster's "On the Run", which was recorded at the 1988 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I bet that many SRV fan will be delighted to hear Webster's vocals and barrelhouse swamp piano playing.

Next, comes the best cut with "Albert's Shuffle", co-written and performed by Albert Collins and SRV and recorded live in 1988. SRV responds intensely to Albert's capoed Telecaster. It is an awe-inspiring, frenzied rendition with howling notes and machine-gun riffs. Albert Collins, along with Albert King and Lonnie Mack, was one of the young SRV guitar heroes.

"Change it" recorded for a television show in 1985 sees Stevie's older brother Jimmie Vaughan playing rhythm on a 1985 television show. The little brother seems to set fireworks alight. Sparks flow in all directions.

On the live "You Can Have My Husband", Lou-Ann Barton - then SRV's girlfriend - plays the tough chick. This track is not one of the best. I actually prefer Barton's studio take recorded with Jimmie Vaughan in 1985. SRV's solo's are very good though.

Bonnie Raitt remains her very elegant self as she adds highly sensitive slide to "Texas Flood", which was recorded in Seattle in 1985. A wonderful track!

The blistering version of "Pipeline", recorded with Dick Dale - the "King of Surf Guitar" - is truly magnificent. SRV's fans unfamiliar with this proto heavy-metal rocker will be fascinated.

Although SRV's guitar is well in attendance, David Bowie's catchy, funky "Let's Dance", which ends the album, feels somewhat alien to what comes before. However, it was an important step in SRV's career and shows how adaptable he was.

Overall, this is a good album. The high points far outweigh the average ones. Moreover, I bet that some of SRV's fans will be delighted to listen to great artists that they might not already know. Enjoy.


Astonishing, 06 May 2007
This was the srv & dt cd i bought and i was so blown away i imediately bought another of their cds.
Srv's Playing ability is flawless, he never misses a note man!
It's goes Jimi no.1 Stevie no.2, no doubt about it!!!

A solid second album, 21 Jul 2003
"Couldn't Stand The Weather" may not live up to the heights of Stevie Ray Vaughan's superb debut album, but it is still a very solid slice of blues-rock, showcasing Vaughan's exceptional abilities as a guitar player.

"Texas Flood" had a few more real classics, including several of Vaughan's best songs ("Pride And Joy", "Texas Flood", "I'm Cryin'" "Dirty Pool"), but "Couldn't Stand The Weather" has some really fine cuts as well. The opener, the instrumental "Scuttle Buttin'", is probably Vaughan's best instrumental piece, and he and the band perform some excellent covers, particularly W.C. Clark's "Cold Shot" and Eddie Jones' "The Things That I Used To Do".

The bonus tracks include a take on Freddie King's classic "Hide Away", an alternative "Look At Little Sister" (the master turned up on Vaughan's third album a year later), and a cover of Hound Dog Taylor's funky "Give Me Back My Wig".

One might have wished for a few more original compositions (only four songs are Vaughan's own, and two of these are instrumentals). Stevie Ray Vaughan chose his covers carefully, though, and they all work well in this setting, making "Couldn't Stand The Weather" an enjoyable album, even if it isn't Vaughan's greatest.

Excellent!, 06 May 2003
This is by far one of my favourite CDs, offering fast guitar work playing the Blues and Rock music. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD from start to finish, and the bonus tracks were just that - a bonus (strangely!)

Despite some similar-sounding tracks, this is still one of the best CDs I've heard of this genre and Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of my favourite artists.

If you're considering buying this CD, you should also check out "Texas Flood", yet another of SRV's superb achievements.

Overall: YOU NEED THIS CD!!!

Just fantastic..., 28 Feb 2002
We all know just how spectacular Stevie was on guitar, the guy remains one of the greatest without question.

...but to suggest he wasn't a great singer?? That's just crazy! Just like Hendrix, Stevie has always been an extremely underrated vocalist. Granted, he can't sing like Skip James and knock off a falsetto at the drop of a hat - but he sang with one hell of a lot of soul and guts that I think definitely shines through on this wonderful album.

"Couldn't Stand The Weather" is another fantastic Stevie and Double Trouble record, and full marks to Legacy for doing a first class job on this remastered version. I've always been of the opinion that the guys were never really served well in the studio - the production techniques used always made them sound too polished (the live albums are always better), but this reissue goes a long way to try and correct that.

Above all though, just by this album!

Rhythmic gymnastics and masterclasses in blues playing., 20 Sep 2000
Its sometimes said that great guitar players don't always make great singers, and there are plenty of examples around to add truth to that statement. SRV is undeniably a great guitar player, and though his singing might not quite reach that description, does it really matter when everything important he has to say comes from the clarity and passion of his playing?

This CD contains some tunes that could be described as masterclasses in the art of blues guitar. Apart from the modern classic "Scuttle Buttin'" ( which by now must have taken over from Smoke on the Water as the most heard riff in guitar shops) there are four stand-out pieces which are all different in their own way.

"The things (that) I used to do" would not be out of place in any country road house or late night urban blues bar. Its a standard vocal line and guitar reply format but the treatment is straightforward, solid and brilliant. Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" is a great vehicle for SRV's Stratocaster mastery, but what makes the track really drive is the tightness of Chris Layton's drumming. Most bands who are happy to start together and finish at more or less the same time could learn from this,it gives a new meaning to the term rhythmic gymnastics.

"Cold Shot" is simply an easy groove blues. Uncomplicated and very effective.

The guitar settings are in the "delicate " mode and the phrasing is lyrical in "Tin Pan Alley" and all are underpinned by an object lesson in blues bass playing. Ths sustained coolness of Tommy Shannon's playing is a pleasure to listen to.There's a feeling though, that the lyrics don't quite match up to the quality of the musicianship ( aopologies to J.Reed fans). With a stronger narrative this could have been an all time great.

All other tracks are highly enjoyable but a bit mixed ( "Stang's Swang" is interesting but somehow ingongrous here ). All SRV fans will have this material, but with the bonus tracks it is a very good introduction for new followers.

Awesome, 03 Jun 2004
Reading a book on the blues, I came across Johnny Winter, who is regarded as one of the greatest slide guitar players that has ever lived. Never having heard him before, I bought a copy of this CD on the strength of that comment. Awesome is the best word to describe Johnny's playing, whether on electric or acoustic guitar, and this album shows him at his best. I cant even begin to dream of being able to play guitar like he does on "Dallas", an awesome example of slide on his steel National. How many fingers does this man have? Vocals is not Johnny's strongest suit, and may be an acquired taste, but his guitar playing outweighs this flaw. Being first released in the late 60s on vinyl, the only down side is the comparatively short playing time (45 mins or so).

One of Winter's best and bluesiest, 30 Jul 2003
Texas blues-rocker Johnny Winter recorded perhaps the "purest" blues album of his career back in 1969 with this self-titled set of songs.
He is backed by some very authentic blues stars, legendary composer/arranger/bass player Willie Dixon among them, and harp duties is handled by none other than "Big" Walter Horton. Also, some of the bass playing is handled by none other than a very young Tommy Shannon - later of Stevie Ray Vaughan's backing band Double Trouble.

What you think of this will probably depend a little bit on how you feel about Johnny Winter's "strangled" vocal style...he's not as bad as Black Oak Arkansas' Jim Dandy Mangrum, but he is certainly not a smooth singer either.

The music, however, is great, particularly the acoustic "Dallas" and "When You Got A Good Friend", which showcases Winter's masterful slide playing, the ballad "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", the groovy, electric "Mean Mistreater", and Winter's take on B.B. King's "Be Careful With A Fool".

In Step embraces blues and rock without compromising the primal joys of either. This is Stevie Ray Vaughan's best studio album and the first he recorded sober. "Travis Walk" offers a heady rush of flat-picking, "The House is Rockin'" is full-tilt roots- boogie, "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Leave My Girl Alone" are sweet blues epiphanies and the nine-minute instrumental "Riviera Paradise" is a truly soulful mix of blues and jazz. By this stage, just a year before his untimely death, Vaughan had also tamed his bawling voice into a rich instrument. In short, this 1989 session is Vaughan at his artistic peak. It's raw blues-rock perfection. --Ted Drozdowski

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

A different, original way to listent to Stevie Ray Vaughan's artistry, 17 Jan 2008

Stevie Ray Vaughan's latest CD release includes six previously unreleased live tracks as well as eight already released tracks.

This is the second album from him that I buy since "The Sky Is Crying."

As SRV was always wont to play with other artists, I bought this CD to gain a broader view of his work. This album highlights recordings where SRV was either a guest or a sideman. This album does not focus on Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but rather on Stevie Ray Vaughan's musicianship. It also displays the great versatility of SRV.

After hearing what is on offer here, I can assure you that his record label is definitely not scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The album starts with "The Sky Is Crying", the well-known live version featuring Albert King, B.B. King and Paul Butterfield that was released on DVD. I have always found that this track was rather average. Although a fan of all the aforementioned musicians, I find that Butterfield's vocals and harmonica playing do not really fit in this context. I also find that SRV cannot compare to Albert King, at least vocally.

Marcia Ball's taunting rendition of "Soulful Dress" was the best track from her debut rounder LP (1984.) SRV's flashy guitar riffs greatly enhanced it.

"Don't Stop by the Creek, Son" is an outstanding track recorded by Johnny Copeland on his own, excellent "Teen Twister" album for Rounder (1983.)

On A.C. Reed's "Miami Street", he responds well to the main man's raspy, gutbucket blowing and soulful self-deprecating lyrics.

The next track, "Na-Na-Ne-Na-Nay", written and performed by rockabilly singer Bill Carter's features a rocking horn section I do not find it that great.

SRV and Jeff Beck perform a live, savage rendition of "Goin' Down." This, by the way, is the well known Don Nix composition. Beck did not write it as mentioned.

SRV co-produced Lonnie Mack's inspired comeback album titled "Strike like Lightning" (Alligator, 1985.) The CD offers a live rendition of the former album's "Orea Cookie Blues" recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theatre in 1986. Lonnie Mack and his Gibson Flying V are firing on all cylinders here.

SRV brings his bullish guitar tone to the late Katie Webster's "On the Run", which was recorded at the 1988 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I bet that many SRV fan will be delighted to hear Webster's vocals and barrelhouse swamp piano playing.

Next, comes the best cut with "Albert's Shuffle", co-written and performed by Albert Collins and SRV and recorded live in 1988. SRV responds intensely to Albert's capoed Telecaster. It is an awe-inspiring, frenzied rendition with howling notes and machine-gun riffs. Albert Collins, along with Albert King and Lonnie Mack, was one of the young SRV guitar heroes.

"Change it" recorded for a television show in 1985 sees Stevie's older brother Jimmie Vaughan playing rhythm on a 1985 television show. The little brother seems to set fireworks alight. Sparks flow in all directions.

On the live "You Can Have My Husband", Lou-Ann Barton - then SRV's girlfriend - plays the tough chick. This track is not one of the best. I actually prefer Barton's studio take recorded with Jimmie Vaughan in 1985. SRV's solo's are very good though.

Bonnie Raitt remains her very elegant self as she adds highly sensitive slide to "Texas Flood", which was recorded in Seattle in 1985. A wonderful track!

The blistering version of "Pipeline", recorded with Dick Dale - the "King of Surf Guitar" - is truly magnificent. SRV's fans unfamiliar with this proto heavy-metal rocker will be fascinated.

Although SRV's guitar is well in attendance, David Bowie's catchy, funky "Let's Dance", which ends the album, feels somewhat alien to what comes before. However, it was an important step in SRV's career and shows how adaptable he was.

Overall, this is a good album. The high points far outweigh the average ones. Moreover, I bet that some of SRV's fans will be delighted to listen to great artists that they might not already know. Enjoy.


Astonishing, 06 May 2007
This was the srv & dt cd i bought and i was so blown away i imediately bought another of their cds.
Srv's Playing ability is flawless, he never misses a note man!
It's goes Jimi no.1 Stevie no.2, no doubt about it!!!

A solid second album, 21 Jul 2003
"Couldn't Stand The Weather" may not live up to the heights of Stevie Ray Vaughan's superb debut album, but it is still a very solid slice of blues-rock, showcasing Vaughan's exceptional abilities as a guitar player.

"Texas Flood" had a few more real classics, including several of Vaughan's best songs ("Pride And Joy", "Texas Flood", "I'm Cryin'" "Dirty Pool"), but "Couldn't Stand The Weather" has some really fine cuts as well. The opener, the instrumental "Scuttle Buttin'", is probably Vaughan's best instrumental piece, and he and the band perform some excellent covers, particularly W.C. Clark's "Cold Shot" and Eddie Jones' "The Things That I Used To Do".

The bonus tracks include a take on Freddie King's classic "Hide Away", an alternative "Look At Little Sister" (the master turned up on Vaughan's third album a year later), and a cover of Hound Dog Taylor's funky "Give Me Back My Wig".

One might have wished for a few more original compositions (only four songs are Vaughan's own, and two of these are instrumentals). Stevie Ray Vaughan chose his covers carefully, though, and they all work well in this setting, making "Couldn't Stand The Weather" an enjoyable album, even if it isn't Vaughan's greatest.

Excellent!, 06 May 2003
This is by far one of my favourite CDs, offering fast guitar work playing the Blues and Rock music. I thoroughly enjoyed this CD from start to finish, and the bonus tracks were just that - a bonus (strangely!)

Despite some similar-sounding tracks, this is still one of the best CDs I've heard of this genre and Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of my favourite artists.

If you're considering buying this CD, you should also check out "Texas Flood", yet another of SRV's superb achievements.

Overall: YOU NEED THIS CD!!!

Just fantastic..., 28 Feb 2002
We all know just how spectacular Stevie was on guitar, the guy remains one of the greatest without question.

...but to suggest he wasn't a great singer?? That's just crazy! Just like Hendrix, Stevie has always been an extremely underrated vocalist. Granted, he can't sing like Skip James and knock off a falsetto at the drop of a hat - but he sang with one hell of a lot of soul and guts that I think definitely shines through on this wonderful album.

"Couldn't Stand The Weather" is another fantastic Stevie and Double Trouble record, and full marks to Legacy for doing a first class job on this remastered version. I've always been of the opinion that the guys were never really served well in the studio - the production techniques used always made them sound too polished (the live albums are always better), but this reissue goes a long way to try and correct that.

Above all though, just by this album!

Rhythmic gymnastics and masterclasses in blues playing., 20 Sep 2000
Its sometimes said that great guitar players don't always make great singers, and there are plenty of examples around to add truth to that statement. SRV is undeniably a great guitar player, and though his singing might not quite reach that description, does it really matter when everything important he has to say comes from the clarity and passion of his playing?

This CD contains some tunes that could be described as masterclasses in the art of blues guitar. Apart from the modern classic "Scuttle Buttin'" ( which by now must have taken over from Smoke on the Water as the most heard riff in guitar shops) there are four stand-out pieces which are all different in their own way.

"The things (that) I used to do" would not be out of place in any country road house or late night urban blues bar. Its a standard vocal line and guitar reply format but the treatment is straightforward, solid and brilliant. Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile" is a great vehicle for SRV's Stratocaster mastery, but what makes the track really drive is the tightness of Chris Layton's drumming. Most bands who are happy to start together and finish at more or less the same time could learn from this,it gives a new meaning to the term rhythmic gymnastics.

"Cold Shot" is simply an easy groove blues. Uncomplicated and very effective.

The guitar settings are in the "delicate " mode and the phrasing is lyrical in "Tin Pan Alley" and all are underpinned by an object lesson in blues bass playing. Ths sustained coolness of Tommy Shannon's playing is a pleasure to listen to.There's a feeling though, that the lyrics don't quite match up to the quality of the musicianship ( aopologies to J.Reed fans). With a stronger narrative this could have been an all time great.

All other tracks are highly enjoyable but a bit mixed ( "Stang's Swang" is interesting but somehow ingongrous here ). All SRV fans will have this material, but with the bonus tracks it is a very good introduction for new followers.

Awesome, 03 Jun 2004
Reading a book on the blues, I came across Johnny Winter, who is regarded as one of the greatest slide guitar players that has ever lived. Never having heard him before, I bought a copy of this CD on the strength of that comment. Awesome is the best word to describe Johnny's playing, whether on electric or acoustic guitar, and this album shows him at his best. I cant even begin to dream of being able to play guitar like he does on "Dallas", an awesome example of slide on his steel National. How many fingers does this man have? Vocals is not Johnny's strongest suit, and may be an acquired taste, but his guitar playing outweighs this flaw. Being first released in the late 60s on vinyl, the only down side is the comparatively short playing time (45 mins or so).

One of Winter's best and bluesiest, 30 Jul 2003
Texas blues-rocker Johnny Winter recorded perhaps the "purest" blues album of his career back in 1969 with this self-titled set of songs.
He is backed by some very authentic blues stars, legendary composer/arranger/bass player Willie Dixon among them, and harp duties is handled by none other than "Big" Walter Horton. Also, some of the bass playing is handled by none other than a very young Tommy Shannon - later of Stevie Ray Vaughan's backing band Double Trouble.

What you think of this will probably depend a little bit on how you feel about Johnny Winter's "strangled" vocal style...he's not as bad as Black Oak Arkansas' Jim Dandy Mangrum, but he is certainly not a smooth singer either.

The music, however, is great, particularly the acoustic "Dallas" and "When You Got A Good Friend", which showcases Winter's masterful slide playing, the ballad "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", the groovy, electric "Mean Mistreater", and Winter's take on B.B. King's "Be Careful With A Fool".

A fitting send-off, 30 Jan 2008
SRV and Double Trouble's final recording is a fitting footnote to a career which would end in a tragic helicopter crash the following year. It's ironic; In Step catches Stevie at his most vital; alive and thankful for the chance he'd been given following years of drug and alcohol abuse. The optimistic tone and fiery licks are showcased in tracks such as "Crossfire" and "Tightrope" and Buddy Guy gets a suitable nod with scalding versions of "Let Me Love You Baby" and "Leave My Girl Alone". The standout track on this recording; however is the more contemplative "Riviera Paradise" - a gorgeous meditation with shimmering guitar and marrow-deep soul. If Stevie had died four years earlier, when his addictions threatened to overwhelm him, we would have had the patched-up, "Live Alive" to remember him by. I think if Stevie knew that an album was going to be his last, then he could have done a lot worse than "In Step"

Scorching, 03 Dec 2006
This is the last SRV studio album before his untimely death in 1990, and its one of the very best he ever made.

As you would expect there is some searing guitar playing on this album as well some of Stevie's best songs. How many variations on blues/rock can you do? Well based on this album it seems unlimited - 'Crossfire', 'Tightrope' are both classics in the SRV cannon. For pure blues 'Leave My Girl Alone' takes some beating and the opening track 'The House is Rockin'' is as rocking a boogie as you'll ever hear.

There are two elements to this album that are significantly different from SRV's early albums. Firstly the addition of Reese Wynans on Keyboards fills out the sound, so that SRV can play lead with more than just bass and drums behind him. Also if you know this album could you imagine 'The House is Rockin'' without the Piano? Secondly 'Riviera Paradise' which finishes this album is a very mellow laid-back instrumental, and by an odd coincidence this is the last-ever SRV track on a studio album, and its completely unlike any other track in his recording career.

Sadly Stevie Ray Vaughan's recording career was pretty short but he left us with this final great album. It should be in your collection!

new to stevie ? start here, 15 Nov 2006
highly recommend this to anyone who likes guitar / blues / rock - stevie was among the very greatest guitarists - and this album is a good introduction.

His other studio albums are all worth acquiring (texas flood, soul to soul, couldnt stand the weather, and the sky is crying), also the live album (montreux). so if you do buy it, budget for more than one cd ...

Stevie Ray brings home real feeling..., 24 Apr 2005
After almost killing himself with his coke-tinged whiskey, and checking into rehab for more than a year, Stevie Ray Vaughan returned to Texas Flood-form with his last album, In Step. It is a wonderfully organised and structured album, finding Stevie Ray performing some of the best songs in his list, and finally writing real songs.

For those who say Stevie Ray's playing on In Step is the worst he ever did, I don't agree in any way. Sure, his playing is refined and more controlled, but since when did a guitar player have to play lightening-fast skids to be a brilliant player - Especially in the blues? Never! In Step's playing is Stevie probably at his least pyrotechnical, but at his most blue: he takes time with his solos and runs to impart real blue emotion through his playing, instead of astounding everyone with the fastest blues anyone's ever heard. True, Stevie's amazing when he does this, but we saw him do that on Texas Flood and Couldn't Stand The Weather. Since those albums, he'd matured and grown both as a human and an artist, and In Step is the result of someone wanting to just play his blues out on the guitar.

It's a wonderful album and a definite cannot miss for ANYONE even remotely interested in Stevie Ray and the blues.

SRV does pop, 17 Feb 2005
Stevie Ray Vaughan's fourth album saw him emerging healthy, happy and cleaned up of the worst drug and booze fuelled excesses of his rock 'n' roll adolescence. Of course there are good and bad things, from a rock icon's perspective (and his fans'), about growing up. In Step is the record of a man getting comfortable with himself and his achievements, with all the positive and negative connotations that brings.

At this point the argument "Can white men play the blues?" has been won hands down, Stevie Ray Vaughan sounds like a man who knows it - his guitar tone is by turns rich and beautiful (Riviera Paradise) fulsome and commanding (Travis Walk; Wall of Denial) and cheeky (Cross-Fire) but never genuinely throaty or bitching, as it is for the duration of Texas Flood, Couldn't Stand The Weather and the celebrated early live sets (it is my considered view, for instance, that everyone on this planet should be afforded the opportunity to see Stevie Ray Vaughan Live at the El Mocambo).

Indeed, at times SRV's famous Stratocaster, Number One, sounds positively compressed - odd for a man for whom fingers, strings and tubes were some sort of holy trinity, and digital processing more akin to an angel cast from the firmament.

For its part, Double Trouble is on song, and beautifully recorded - and as a pop record this is certainly Stevie Ray's most accessible entry, but if you're a raw blues tone freak like me, you may find it somewhat uninvolving.

Make no mistake: this is a great record, and worthy of sitting in any collection, but for my money Stevie Ray Vaughan's first two albums mentioned above and the outstanding, posthumously released, The Sky Is Crying are better ways of remembering the man who famously said:

"Tune low, play hard, and floor it. That's technical talk."

Olly Buxton

ALL THE SONGS YOU'LL EVER NEED, 20 Jul 2008
This is another great compilation from the Beginners series, from Robert Johnson all the way to Charlie Musselwhite. This is a great start for your blues colection.

You won't be disappointed with this, 26 Feb 2008
As a modern blues afficionado, I spent a long time choosing this: I was after a comprehensive compilation covering early acoustic roots to present day electric blues. There are so many compilations to choose from, but this one turned out to be as good as I'd hoped - there is not a single track here that I didn't enjoy, and I think you will too. Some you will already know, some you won't, but there are no fillers here. CD1 features acoustic country blues, CD2 the electric sounds of classic urban blues and CD3 modern artists 'keeping the tradition alive'. Nice.

Freddie King A Real Bluesman, 11 Jul 2005
Freddie King is very rocky with a Texas style bluesman and this album really displays it. You can clearly see where guitarists such as Eric Clapton and Johnny Winter got some of their style from. This album is a great representation of his work with some great songs. For me as a young guitarist I would rate this as first class to any of the other blues influences and modern bands I have heard. Its an awesome album definately worth getting.

Blues at its finest, 31 Oct 2002
This album is a "must-have" in any blues collection. It is a wonderful selection of tracks which display King's immense talent for the blues guitar! We are also treated to mostly live tracks on this album, so one can hear the King live at work on stage, teaming up with such artists as Eric Clapton and George Terry. There is a good mix of slow and fast blues on this album -for example, we have "Further on up the road", a fast blues classic: King vs. Clapton in an improvisation showdown, followed by "Gambling Woman Blues", a slow thoughtful blues with wonderful contributions from George Terry (stunning slide guitar) and Clapton again. In this collection of tracks we are also exposed to King's funk influences, "Sugar Sweet", "Pulp Wood", "The woman across the river", "You can run but you can't hide" to name but a few. This album is definitely worth the buy! It is a constant member of my cd collection, and it shows all King's dimensions, from classic blues to funk, and has appealed to all lovers of blues I know.

he's too good!, 10 Nov 2006
Where to start on the album...well it has to be Little Wing...the sleeve notes by Jimmie Vaughan state that with headphones on you can hear his amp buzzing and almost smell the pipes burning...and indeed you can, very rarely is anything this good!...add to this stevie's own redition of the title track, though the best version of this is to found on Martin Scorsese's Stevie collection. (a blistering live version).
This album was released just after Vaughan's death and is very possibly his best (studio) album.
What would he have been like if he had lived!?!?

Wowwww!!!!!!!, 15 Jun 2005
This is the album that started my apprehiation of SRV and Double trouble. I guarantee that this will open up your blues collection and you will be buying artist you would never of thought of buying. Hendrix's 'Little Wing' displays that SRV plays from his heart and after listening to it you realise the talent lost. From his battered stratocaster comes a pure genius, which from a man who used to sneek into his brothers room and play his guitar when he went out then not be taken seriously by his family, shows skill and passion with his instrument. The CD starts with 'Boot Hill' and kicks things off in the finest style, though pure blues and texas shuffle and it ends with 'life by the drop' which is a 12 string guitar and stevie and some amazing emotional lyrics. This album was complied by Jimmie Vaughan after his brothers death so you get the finest of SRV studio takes. Inlay of the disc is an interview with Jimmie Vaughan and the members of Double Trouble and gives a background to the songs and Stevie's arrangment of them. The Songs, Talent and personality of this man shines though is playing will leave you in awe. He has left behind music that inspires, influences and encourages all us guitar players. Buy it, enjoy it, then watch your SRV collection grow.

A fitting swansong, 26 Apr 2004
Put together after Stevie's death, this album is quite frankly superb. Asit was put together from a few years of sessions, you get a few differentvibes from him, instead of a specific vibe per album. It's got somerocking blues to his more tender side, which is what i want from an album.
I also want to add that 'Life by the Drop' is the perfect and mostbeautiful close for Stevie as a musician (although his legacy lives oninside eveyone who loves him). Not many songs can move me as much as 'Lifeby the Drop'. I cannot state enough, it's absolute perfection for hislast 'semi-proper' album - before the greatest hits albums came out.
It brings a tear to my eye everytime i hear it.
Anyway, my general point is that this album proves to be a fittingswansong to one of the few musicans who was truely touched by god. I'm notreligious but Stevie had what Hendrix had. I have no idea where it camefrom but i adore it.
My advice to everyone is to buy all his albums and listen to them inorder, while reading a SRV book of some sort.
You don't hear that many albums as good as this nowadays
RIP Stevie

As good as a "real" album, 29 Jul 2003
This collection of outtakes from Stevie Ray Vaughan's previous album sessions, released the year after his tragic death, is actually as solid and enjoyable as most of his "real" albums.

It is bluesier than "In Step", recalling his first album, "Texas Flood", and it features an alternative take on the delightful, swinging "Empty Arms" (from "Soul To Soul") and nine previously unreleased songs, including fine renditions of Howlin' Wolf's menacing "May I Have A Talk With You" and Elmore James' immortal "The Sky Is Crying".

Stevie Ray Vaughan's too rarely heard slide playing smoulders on the morbid "Boot Hill" (an alternative version of Elmore James' "Look On Yonder Wall"), which is also highlighted by Reese Wynans' wonderful piano playing.
And Vaughan's guitar playing on this album includes some of the best performances of his career - just listen to that purely instrumental version of "Little Wing", and Lonnie Mack's "Wham" as well.

"The Sky Is Crying" also features Willie Dixon's "Close To You", a supremely jazzy "Chitlins Con Carne", the SRV orginal "So Excited" (also an instrumental), and finally one of Vaughan's best-ever performances, an acoustic solo rendition of Doyle Bramhall's wonderful survivor story "Life By The Drop". Sublime "live" vocal on that one, one of the best things Stevie Ray Vaughan ever committed to tape.

The Best, 21 Sep 2002
This is the best studio album Stevie never recorded and possibly the best studio album of his altogether. An album I think put together by his brother Jimmy after his death. A selection without a single weakness.
The CD covers every aspect of Stevies style from the rawness of the excellent opener Boot Hill to the jazz/blues of Chitlins Con Carne.
The version of Little Wing is worth the price alone. Sublime and exquisite, Stevie at his best.
The closing song Life by the Drop is, I suppose an obvious choice to put on, bearing in mind his recent recovery from addiction and then cruel death shortly afterwards. But listen to its subtlety, simplicity and aching vocals. Even after listening to it dozens and dozens of time it never fails to send shivers down my back and the closing lines a lump to my throat...

A different, original way to listent to Stevie Ray Vaughan's artistry, 17 Jan 2008

Stevie Ray Vaughan's latest CD release includes six previously unreleased live tracks as well as eight already released tracks.

This is the second album from him that I buy since "The Sky Is Crying."

As SRV was always wont to play with other artists, I bought this CD to gain a broader view of his work. This album highlights recordings where SRV was either a guest or a sideman. This album does not focus on Stevie Ray Vaughan's music, but rather on Stevie Ray Vaughan's musicianship. It also displays the great versatility of SRV.

After hearing what is on offer here, I can assure you that his record label is definitely not scrapping the bottom of the barrel.

The album starts with "The Sky Is Crying", the well-known live version featuring Albert King, B.B. King and Paul Butterfield that was released on DVD. I have always found that this track was rather average. Although a fan of all the